Diffusion of helium in carbonates: Effects of mineral structure and composition

When the effects of anisotropy and diffusion domain size are considered, our results are in reasonable agreement with previous results from bulk degassing of natural samples. Modeling of helium diffusive loss shows that calcite and magnesite are unlikely to be retentive of helium on the Earth's surface for typical grain sizes and time/temperature conditions. Dolomite and aragonite may be retentive under cooler conditions, but because helium retention is strongly dependent on diffusion domain size, general predictions are difficult given the structural complexities of natural samples. Our axis-specific diffusion measurements across a range of carbonate compositions, evaluated through direct profiling, offer important constraints for modeling helium mobility in carbonates, and for understanding the influence of the complexities of carbonate structures on He outgassing patterns.